EKEBI literary events continue
The lecture series held by the National Book Center (EKEBI) to commemorate the centenary of Andreas Embeirikos’s birth is proving popular. On Tuesday publisher Stavros Petsopoulos described the publication process of the writer’s work, critic Alexandros Argyriou discussed the poet’s connection with surrealism, while poet Sotiris spoke about the reception of «Ypsikaminou» and read extracts from ironic comments by scholars, writers and journalists on the early work of Embeirikos. The series continues next Tuesday, November 27, with a lecture on «Andreas Embeirikos: Personal Mythology» at 7 p.m. at the Stoa tou Vivliou. The speakers, psychoanalyst Panos Aloupis, critic and writer Victor Ivanovic and Professor Michalis Kopidakis, will discuss the poet’s links with ancient Greek mythology. Poet Nanos Valaoritis will coordinate the discussion. Wordplay EKEBI’s «Wordplay» discussion series is continuing at the Arena Room, 4 Athanasiou Diakou (Acropolis Metro station). On November 19 writer Elissavet Arseniou and poets Nanos Valaoritis, Michalis Mitras and Andreas Pagoulatos discussed aspects of innovation and modernism. Next Monday (November 26) writer Thanassis Valtinos and professors Giorgis Yiatromanolakis, Gina Politi and Eri Stavropoulou are discussing «History in Contemporary Greek Fiction.» Her early life as a member of the Bembou family (the origin of Vembo) in Kallipolis in Thrace, their move to Volos (her father was from Tsaritsani in Thessaly), her unexpected introduction to singing, her immediate rise to distinction, the meeting and turbulent (to the last) relationship with the incurable womanizer Traiforos, the only man in her life, her equally stormy and foul-mouthed response, her dramatic and singing careers, the war years, the endless journey to Greek communities abroad, and the events of November 17, 1973 are all equably and knowledgeably narrated, providing the reader with a basic book about the great singer, a chronicle of an era and, to emphasize the point again, an interesting read in itself.
